4 simple cocktails to try this summer

May 21, 2013

Written by

J.M. Hirsch

Associated Press

Summer is better with a signature cocktail. Not a fancy dinner cocktail. Not a party cocktail. And certainly nothing that anyone who goes by the title “mixologist” ever would deign to make.

I’m talking about an everyday cocktail, something that can be thrown together after work or a day of swimming, then casually sipped — or even slurped — while standing at the grill or sitting by the pool or dock.

A good summer cocktail must be simple to assemble, and preferably from memory. It must be sweet and refreshing, but not cloying. It should have a crispness. It should welcome ice and not suffer noticeably as the ice melts. And it must be versatile enough to go with whatever is on the dinner menu.